


From Enemies to Friends

by Kraken_Guard



Category: Spyro the Dragon (Video Games)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Multi, No Plot/Plotless, Other, more to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:46:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kraken_Guard/pseuds/Kraken_Guard
Summary: It had been a week since the threat of Red the Dragon had been dealt with. Peace had returned to the realms of Avalar, and the various worlds have begun to settle at last, thanks to a truce formed between Elora and the saurian sorcerer Ripto.However, hard feelings still lingered toward the saurian sorcerer. There was scarcely anyone around in Avalar that trusted Ripto, save for one faun... The very same one who had brought the red dragon to Avalar in the first place.Takes place after "This is not the Dragon we were looking for."Just some random fluff between Ripto and Elora.
Relationships: Ripto/Elora
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ... So as said before: This all takes place after "This is not the Dragon we were looking for."
> 
> Ripto/Elora is kinda an elusive ship, and I'm REALLY bummed that there isn't any more content between the two.
> 
> So... *Cracks the knuckles* I'm gonna write some stuff...!
> 
> I DON'T have any particular plot in mind. So if there's anything that you'd like to see, leave a prompt. ^^

It had been a week now since the threat of Red the Dragon had been dealt with... Peace had returned to the realm of Avalar, and things in the various worlds have begun to settle at last.

However, hard feelings still lingered... A week prior to the red dragon's arrival, Ripto and his two saurian beasts had been transported to Avalar by accident, and upon the realization that the realm was dragon-free, Ripto had vowed to proclaim himself as king.

Fearing for the safety of Avalar, Elora instructed Zoe and the other fairies to make off with the orbs before the saurian sorcerer could use them to his advantage. And while he was unable to find out where they had hidden the orbs, the sorcerer had been collecting the fairies, trapping them in cages and threatening to feed them to Gulp unless they told him where the faun and her friends had gone.

Desperate times had called for desperate measures... Elora had brought Red to Avalar in the hopes of dealing with Ripto, only for Red to turn out be worse than Ripto, therefore prompting the faun to seek out Ripto in the hopes of getting his help in dealing with Red.

It was something that the sorcerer would always look back on and laugh at.

He had agreed. Traveling between the different worlds of Avalar, he and Elora's group had collected talismans, gathered orbs, destroyed Dark Gems laid about by the red dragon(or rather, an accomplice), and assisted the inhabitants with whatever issues they were dealing with(which may or may not have been brought about by the meddling of one greedy bear).

... To make the long story short, the red dragon had been defeated, and was taken away by the Elder Dragons back to the Dragon Realms. And Ripto, having developed a slight change of heart, had foregone his claim over the realm of Avalar. The Power Crystal, which he had used in his final battle against Red, was returned to the faun. And the fairies that he had taken captive were released.

However, the fairies were not quick to forgive the little sorcerer... He had aided Elora in dealing with a terrible threat. But the fact remained : he had endangered them. He had captured them, and he had threatened them... Even now, he could sense their condemnatory eyes upon him. And they would take flight whenever his presence became known.

"Let them despise me," the sorcerer had concluded... He didn't buy into the whole notion of offering apologies and expecting forgiveness in return. He knew from personal experience... If he ever met the dragons from his childhood again...

... It was best not to think of such matters... The fairies hated him, and they had their reasons for doing so. He hated dragons, and he had his reasons for doing so. In the end, it was best simply to leave the matter be.

* * *

The little sorcerer had taken his leave of the Winter Tundra with his two saurian beasts, leaving behind the cold, long night and returning to the sunshine realm of the Summer Forest. Greeted by the sounds of distant waterfalls, the soft sighing of the warm summer breeze accompanied by the faint rustlings of the leaves... It was a welcome change from the biting cold of Winter Tundra.

Not far away, Ripto caught sight of a flock of sheep, minding their own business as they grazed upon the grass, nibbling quietly at the green blades... Gulp's eyes lit up at the sight of the white, fluffy animals, and licked his lips, before giving charge. Alarmed at the rumblings of the earth created by the beast's heavy footfalls, the sheep lifted their heads and bleated out, fleeing from the pursuing monster.

That was just like Gulp... Although he was in some ways smarter than Crush, there were times where he would often think with his stomach instead of his brain... Crush was the next to leave the sorcerer's side. The moment the lake came into view, a great, toothy smile spread across Crush's lips, and the dinosaur made toward the lake. A leap was made, and a great splash followed, as though a giant boulder had been hefted and hurled out into the lake.

The sorcerer could only shake his head as he watched his two fearsome beasts, frolicking after sheep, and splashing in the water like a toddler in a bath... "They're like two giant dogs," he seemed to recall Elora saying at one point. And really, who was he to argue?

They had done well in ridding Avalar of the Dark Gems and assisting with the threat of the dragon... They deserved a chance to unwind, so the little sorcerer left them to their own doings while he ventured off on his own.

It was a strange feeling... All his life, he and his two beasts had been on the move, travelling from one place to the next. He was always on the lookout for objects of magical power, and he was an out-and-out ruffian, and an absolute riot wherever he went.

... But that was all he knew. That was all he could really do, and it was a lifestyle he had adjusted to. No one had any desire to associate with him. So he took matters into his own hands... Survival. He had no money, and nothing to trade -- or at least, nothing that he was willing to part with. Thus thievery became a necessity. But as time went on, the little sorcerer's heart was gnawed at by bitterness and resentment. Thus he found himself driven not so much by survival, but by spite.

The sorcerer had settled himself down in the shade of a tree, near where the gateway to Glimmer stood... He had been to so many worlds that he had lost count(he never was good with numbers). And then it was, that by mere accident that he and his two beasts wound up at Avalar, and... Well, the rest was history.

Power was everything in Ripto's eyes. And yet... He'd surrendered the Power Crystal. Given it back to Elora, and said that he would not pursue his claim as Avalar's new king... And when all was said and done, she had offered him stay. Him and his two beasts were welcome to stay in Avalar, for however long they deemed fit.

The little sorcerer's chest puffed out as he drew in a long breath, and sighed, and it felt as if the Summer Forest had sighed with him, with the breeze blowing, and the leaves rustling... But among those sounds, the sorcerer thought he heard the sound of grass being crushed beneath feet -- or more accurately, hooves...

"Ripto! There you are!"

Ahh, speaking of whom...

The sorcerer perked up as the faun strode over, with a smile on her face, and a box in hand.

"I was wondering where you'd gone..."

"The cold was getting to me," said the little sorcerer with a shrug of his shoulders, settling back down against the tree with his arms folded behind his head. "I wanted to return to warmer environments... That and give my two beasts some time for themselves."

"So I saw," said the faun. "I caught Gulp romping around after a flock of sheep, and Crush was lazing about by the lake outside the castle... I figured wherever they were, you were bound to be close by."

"And you'd be right in that assumption," Ripto responded with a nod of his head... The faun had seated herself next to the sorcerer with the box on her lap. Glancing over, the sorcerer arched his brow as he looked down. "And what have you got? Chocolates?" Although it did not smell like so...

"Sorry Ripto... While I know how much you love chocolate, I'm afraid that's not what I have," said the faun, offering the little saurian a sheepish smile. She set the box down in front of the sorcerer, and waited. Shifting, the sorcerer lifted up the box cover...

"My cape!" Ripto exclaimed in surprise, reaching down and drawing the cape out from the box, holding it up and inspecting it... It was brand new, the material soft and smooth, without a trace of wear and tear. Without any trace of hesitation, he slipped his arms through the sleeves, stretching and flexing his arms, twisting this way and that, and waving it around.

"I'm afraid the old cape was unsalvageable," said the faun. "I found a tailor over in Fracture Hills, and had them make a new one."

"It's perfect!" Chimed the sorcerer, standing proud and tall(or as tall as he could), and wearing a toothy smile on his face. They had even remembered to include the two curly little tails at the end of his cape! He felt like a little kid at Christmas.

... And suddenly, his smile faded. No one had ever given him any kind of gift before, he had remembered... There were times, he recalled, when a great tree was set up, decorated in ornaments and garland. Some houses also had a tree, some smaller than others, but nevertheless a wonder to behold, and decorated with care. And at it's base were tons and tons of boxes of varying shapes and sizes, wrapped in paper of varying colors and bows. Gifts, from one person to another. But there was never anything for him. And Christmas was always cold. The coldest time there was for him...

"Ripto?"

A voice called out to him, and Ripto found himself brought back to the present. The summer breeze blew, gentle and warm. He looked to the faun to see her head tilted, curious and concerned...

"Thank you," he said at last, reaching around and wrapping his cape around himself... Still, she had that same look in her eyes. Like she knew there was something on his mind...

"Send the tailor my regards... Should you see them again," the little sorcerer added after a moment, in the hopes of taking the faun's mind off.

"Y-yes, of course... I will tell them that you were very happy," Elora said, offering the sorcerer a smile... And... He smiled in return.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Eeeh! I wasn't really sure what to write, so this is kinda more a chapter-for-the-sake-of-having-a-chapter!
> 
> Again, I AM open for ideas and suggestions -- this chapter especially was kinda bleh -- 'cause I want to write more with these two...! I hate looking around for content involving these two, but being the only one around who makes the content...!

It felt good having a cape again... He would not deny that he had felt completely and utterly naked without it. He was... Grateful to Elora... _But she didn't HAVE to do that... He wondered why she did... Maybe it was a token of thanks for helping with the red dragon -- or perhaps it was because of his returning of the Power Crystal once things in Avalar were safe again._

_Yes... Perhaps that was it._

The little sorcerer looked out to the lake, and caught sight of Crush relaxing down by the water with a contented look on his face... And not too far from there, Gulp, the big green dinosaur having settled down in a spot by some grassy steps... As the sorcerer drew closer, the beast perked up his head, and issued a low bellow in greeting. 

"Has Gulp had his share of sheepies?" cooed the sorcerer, reaching down and scratching the big green dinosaur beneath his chin... _It was funny -- Ripto hadn't talked to Gulp with that tone in a very long time... He couldn't quite remember how long it had been -- it was before Crush joined them, he knew that much..._

_Was it because they now felt a better sense of security in Avalar? Now that he thought about it, he couldn't quite recall a time where he'd seen the two beasts at ease... For that matter, he couldn't recall a time where he himself had felt at ease either._

_It was... New, to say the least. New, and nice._

After a moment, the sorcerer's scratches came to a halt... He'd caught sound of a voice not far from where he was, coming closer and closer... Hunter( _judging from that 'surfer dude-esque' voice that the cheetah was known for_ ), and Zoe, the fairy, from the sound of it...

 _So they had returned from the Dragon Realms_ ... And no doubt that they were on the lookout for Elora to fill her in on all they had seen, and all whom they had met during their travels. But the affairs of dragons was a topic that Ripto held little interest in. _Even if they were friends to the denizens of Avalar now, he had no interest in them_...

With a gentle pat on Gulp's nose, the sorcerer turned and made his way to fetch Crush...He figured he would slip away while they were conversing with one another... _Besides, it was Elora they wanted. Not him... No, suspicions were still strong,_ he felt. _And why wouldn't they be? He had tried to take over Avalar before the red dragon was brought into the picture. He wouldn't be entering into any cliques anytime soon._

_... It was a wonder that the faun had become so open toward him... Out of the whole lot of them, she was the one to have made the most effort in engaging with him. It was ironic. Funny, and sad in a sense, that the one person who had welcomed him was the one that had done all that she could to see him gone... It's one thing having to cooperate with someone you don't like when dealing with a certain threat. But her stance had changed... The way she looked and spoke to him gave off a certain warmness that he'd never experienced before. And he wasn't sure what to make of it..._

The big blue beast stretched and gave off a big yawn. Seeing the little sorcerer had brought a great toothy smile to Crush's face, and the beast knelt down, nuzzling his nose against Ripto... After giving the blue beast a pat on the nose, Ripto turned and made his way to the castle.

* * *

"So you're really heading back?" Asked Elora, her ears drooping slightly as she looked to the cheetah.

"Yeah -- I've only visited the first homeworld of the Dragon Realms so far! Can you believe that there's four other dragon homeworlds out there?"

Although Elora was disappointed to see the cheetah return to the Dragon Realms so soon, she couldn't help but smile... It was funny how he had been such a scaredy cat before. Now Hunter was leaping at the first opportunity of an adventure, and learning all that he could about the dragons.

"You sure you don't want to come along?"

"One of these days... But right now, I'm needed here," said the faun. "There's still some things that need tidying up. And the Professor's still working on the Super Portal."

" _Still_?" Hunter's brows furrowed, to which the faun gave a nod of her head.

"Functionality-wise, the Super Portal works great," said Elora. "But as far as finding the Spring Valley homeworld with it, we haven't had much luck."

"Well... Maybe I can mention something about that to the Dragon Elders?" Hunter suggested. "It's worth a shot, right?"

"You're right."

_Still... It was disconcerting that the Power Crystal wasn't enough. Elora had been confident that that was their key to re-discovering the Spring Valley Homeworld. As powerful as the dragons were, would it be enough?_

... But the faun said nothing, instead offering a smile to the cheetah.

With all that said, the two had exchanged their farewells. As Hunter turned to depart, Zoe fluttered up to the faun.

"I'm going to go back with him too," said the fairy. "While the Dragon Realms are full of wonders, they're not without their share of danger..."

"That's okay," said Elora with a nod. "I know Hunter isn't exactly known for thinking before acting... Take care of him."

"Will do... _Elora?_ "

"Hm?"

" _... How has he been?_ "

The faun's ears twitched at the question... _No doubt Zoe was speaking of Ripto..._

" _He's been fine,"_ said the faun, in a tone that offered reassurance. " _He keeps to himself must of the time, but he hasn't done anything to hurt anyone..._ "

There was a look of uncertainty on Zoe's face... _Like the other fairies, Zoe was skeptical toward the little sorcerer for his actions beforehand -- especially where her friends were concerned... There were many different kinds of fairies, good, and bad. But one thing that they all had in common was that they did not forget the slights made against them, accidental or otherwise._ Still, Elora tried to offer the little fairy reassurance.

"If he really was up to something," the faun started. "I think he would have taken the place over again while you two were away..."

"I suppose," the fairy admitted, rubbing her arm. "As long as you trust him... Take care, Elora -- And tell the Professor we said _'hi!'_ "

"Will do."

Elora smiled at the little fairy, and Zoe smiled in turn, before turning to catch up with the cheetah... _No, fairies were not quick to forgetting, or forgiving past crimes. But there were some that were more forgiving than others... As long as the offending party put up an effort to make amends, it was possible... But as she had told Zoe : The little sorcerer kept mostly to himself._

_... Probably for the best, for now. But he couldn't avoid everyone forever... It would take a lot of convincing to the other fairies, and he would have to put in some kind of effort to prove himself as well... He had a home now, and Elora would see to it that he was welcomed._


	3. Chapter 3

The serenity of the Summer Forest was once more disrupted by the sound of a massive splash. Outside the castle, Crush made a leap forward, his massive weight crashing down into the lake outside the castle and creating a humongous splash. When his head breached through the surface, his nostrils flared, and a great stream of water sprayed forth like a geyser. With his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, the blue beast brought his large hands down into the water, doggy-paddling around and snapping his jaws at the water as it splashed upward in his face.

The little sorcerer was sitting against Gulp, watching as the blue dinosaur played around in the lake... Ripto had never imagined that Crush would have had such a liking toward swimming. Not that either of them ever had that chance to relax and unwind before... They had always been on the move, traveling from one place to the next, never once settling down in one place indefinitely.... Until now. 

"I see Crush enjoys swimming!"

The sorcerer emitted a startled trill, sitting up and turning his head to the voice...

"Elora," the little sorcerer started, eyes settling upon the faun as she stood by with a warm smile on her face. "I didn't realize you were there..."

"Apologies if I startled you," said the faun.

"It's fine," answered Ripto. The faun regarded Gulp for a moment, before approaching the little sorcerer. As she drew closer, the sorcerer averted his gaze as she settled down beside him.

"... Not with your friends?" Asked the little sorcerer.

"Hunter went back to the dragon realms," said Elora. "Said there were still some places that he wanted to explore... Zoe went back with him."

" _What_?" The little sorcerer started. "So soon? _I'd have thought they would have wanted to linger back in Avalar for a while longer to make sure that the peace hadn't been disrupted while they were away..._ "

" _Ripto..._ "

"What?"

The little sorcerer's brows furrowed. He continued to avoid eye-contact with the faun, but he could tell from her voice that she was mildly vexed by his words.

"... Ripto, things are different now," the faun started, adapting a softer tone to her voice. "You helped us with beating back Red."

"I was the best option you had." The little saurian gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Other than that, I don't believe they trust me all that much..."

"Ripto, if they didn't trust you, wouldn't you think think that they would have stayed in Avalar to make sure you didn't get into any mischief?"

 _He... Supposed she had a point..._ With a deep breath, the little sorcerer let out a heavy sigh.

"They don't like me," he said, after a moment. "Not that it matters, but--"

"... It must to _some_ extent," said the faun... After a moment, she reached over, setting her hand down upon his head. "No one's tried to get to know you more..."

"... You are the first, I'll be honest with you there."

"Even then, you're still closed off," Elora said. "I... I won't lie when I say that _nobody really knows how they feel_ just yet... But... I feel everyone'll come around to you eventually -- even the fairies!"

"The fairies?" The sorcerer repeated with a hint of skepticism. "After I locked them up in cages to serve as feed for Gulp? I don't think they'd be quick to forget, or forgive me for that."

"That's true when you say that fairies aren't quick to forgive or forget," Elora started. "But it's not entirely impossible... As long as they see that you _are_ a better person, they'll come to accept you... _Just don't go around locking them up in cages again_."

 _Psh! Elora made it sound so simple..._ She gave the little sorcerer a gentle pat, before taking her hand down from his head.

"I wanted to ask you something," the faun started after a moment, inching closer to the little sorcerer.

"You have my attention..."

"What are your favorite foods?"

 _... Favorite foods??_ The little sorcerer looked up at the faun with a quick of the brow. _That was a random question,_ Ripto thought to himself... The faun looked back at him with an expectant smile. Thus, he cleared his throat.

"Um... Well, I mean... I live on a _carnivorous diet_ , so... Anything _meat_ , I guess," Ripto started. "But I'm not opposed to the occasional fruit or vegetable... _I'm especially fond of mangoes and peaches... And tomatoes._ "

"As a fruit, or as a vegetable?"

"... Don't you start that kind of sass with me."

Elora chuckled at the retort. She reached over again and gave the little saurian a gentle stroke on his head.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out and have a bite with me."

 _Go out and--?_ The little sorcerer blinked in surprise at Elora's proposal. "Wait-- what?"

"... There's a lot of good food to be had in the different worlds in Avalar," the faun started. "Idol Springs has a very good luau, and it's a good place if you're looking for an assortment of fruits, vegetables and meat ; And the fauns and satyrs of Fracture Hills takes an equal amount of pride in their honey-roasted pork, and music..."

" _Ahh, yes. How could I forget the music,_ " said the little sorcerer with a slight scrunch of his nose... _Even now, the bagpipes were echoing in his head._ "Is there... Any particular reason for this?"

"I thought it'd be something nice..." The faun's ears dropped slightly. "You've had this look about you as though you don't really know what to do with yourself. I thought... Maybe I could take you out someplace. Find something that you might enjoy."

 _Something that he might enjoy... Well, everyone enjoyed food,_ he supposed... Still, he was surprised by Elora's offer.

" _... But why though?_ " He couldn't help but ask.

" _... Because I wanted to._ "

His expression softened at the faun's words... _She really wanted that?_

After some moments of contemplating her offer, the sorcerer drew in a breath, and sighed... _In one way or another, Elora always found ways of surprising him..._

"Well... I haven't had anything to eat as of yet," the sorcerer started. But those words alone were enough to brighten the faun's expression.

"So it's settled then?" The faun asked, ears perked, beaming down at the saurian. He responded by giving her a nod of his head, and she clapped her hands. "Excellent! We'll meet back up here in a little bit -- does two or three hours sound good?"

"U-um..." His nose twitched slightly. "Tw-two should be good."

"Perfect! That should give you enough time to decide on where you'd like to go!"

She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss upon his brow before standing up. "I'll see you soon!"

The little sorcerer blinked in bewilderment as the faun turned to depart... _Goodness, he hadn't expected her to respond so enthusiastically..._ There was a sudden rumble from behind, which startled him. Turning his head, he caught Gulp looking over at him with a slight smile on his face.

_... That whole time when he was talking to Elora, he had completely forgotten about Gulp's presence. And the green saurian had heard the whole conversation._

"H-hey, don't you get any bright ideas!" The little sorcerer grumbled, pushing himself up onto his feet, and setting his hands on his hips. "It's not like she's taking me out on a date or anything!"

_... But why the crap else would she have asked him out like that?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... So which'll it be : Idol Springs, or Fracture Hills?


	4. Chapter 4

The moon shone brightly in the dark of the night, the sky dotted with a thousand twinkling stars...

The ground rumbled with each footfall from Crush and Gulp's mighty feet... Wolves, and other such creatures prowled the deep, dark forests. But they quailed at the presence of the great saurians passing by.

Elora sat quietly upon Gulp's back with her head held back, gazing upward and catching the occasional glimpse of the sky through the thick branches. And seated up front on Gulp's head was Ripto, with his legs crossed, and his cape wrapped around his little body.

The faun's ears twitched at the sound of a distant owl screeching in the dark... Lowering her head, she turned her attention down to the little sorcerer, who had seemingly tensed up at the piercing sound.

"... Are you alright?" The faun asked, with a quirk of her brow and a tilt of her head.

"Yes," the little sorcerer answered, his response quick and sharp. But she could tell otherwise. _His snappy response alone had told her enough_... She had taken notice of the way he had wrapped his cape tighter around himself as though it were a security blanket(something she had noted him doing whenever he was feeling anxious). Inching closer, she quietly reached a hand out, setting it down upon the little sorcerer's shoulder... _Was he trembling? Poor thing._

Before long, the trees began to grow sparse around them, and Elora's ears perked as a familiar sound reached her ears... _Bagpipes!_ A smile formed on her face as she looked ahead.

"Do you hear that, Ripto? We're getting close now... And look! You can see the temples from here!" the faun started, gesturing beyond... The little sorcerer was quiet as he lifted his head up, watching as they drew closer toward temples of Fracture Hills... Now that they had emerged from the forest, he seems to have relaxed.

Once they arrived at last, the little sorcerer slid down from Gulp's head, and turned, making a gesture toward Crush... The next thing Elora knew, the beast had reached out to her, carefully scooping her up into his great, big hands, and gently settled her on the ground beside Ripto.

"I-I-- You didn't have to do that, but... Thank you anyway," said the faun, turning to the little sorcerer with a slight smile... Looking up at Crush, Elora gave the big, blue beast a polite nod of her head. "And thank you Crush, for helping me down," said Elora, smiling warmly at the beast. There was a tilt of his head as he looked down at Elora ; but after a moment, the beast's face seemed to light up, his tongue lolling out as he gave the faun his goofiest grin possible.

* * *

Ripto and his two beasts followed Elora as she made her way to the temples... His nostrils twitched at the scent of burning wood and roasted pork, and a low grumbling erupted within his belly... His cheeks burned, and his face scrunched up in a disgruntled fashion. _He hoped Elora hadn't caught that. He'd be super embarrassed if she heard his hunger growls..._

Before long, the fauns and satyrs became aware of their presence, and they greeted Elora with warm welcomes and open arms...

 _... She had friends all over the place, didn't she?_ _Ripto had wanted that same kind of attention for himself -- or at least something close to it... He was not always as he was now ; but over the years, he had grown to become a bitter, resentful, and lonely little creature..._

_If he were king, people would love him... People would respect, and admire him, and would do anything he wanted... Or so he had thought... He had been so deluded over the whole notion that he had never once given any thought to the responsibilities of being a king. And there was a lot involved in it, according to Elora... In the end, he had to accept that being king would not have been what it was cracked up to be... Picturing himself with a crown on his head, ruling the realms of Avalar... Even with Elora to advise him, he probably would have been a lousy king. And so, he had given up on that ambition, partly because he would have been overwhelmed... Another reason was that it would not have been fair._

The little sorcerer was then drawn out from his thoughts as one of the satyr's approached, with Elora at his side.

"We have not forgotten your actions when last you visited Fracture Hills..."

_... Wait--what?_

The little sorcerer blinked with uncertainty at the old satyr's words, feeling as though he had committed a crime that he could recollect no matter how hard he searched through his memories... He had opened his mouth to speak, but immediately fell silent when the old satyr bowed to him.

"Let it be known that you have our gratitude." And with that, the other satyrs and fauns soon joined, bowing to the saurian trio.

"... O-oh," Ripto started after a moment... _And then immediately had no idea what to say next_... He reached around, and pulled his cape around himself... _For some reason, that seemed to have gotten a small chuckle out of Elora..._

According to Elora, the fauns and satyrs of Fracture Hills were quite welcoming toward travelers... The forests surrounding the Fracture Hills were teeming with wildlife and other ferocious monsters, so the temples served as a sanctuary of sorts for the occasional passers-by, from huntsmen seeking game, to traveling merchants.

"The fauns and satyrs of Fracture Hills take great pride in their hospitality" said Elora. " _You wouldn't get that same kind of reception in the Enchanted Forest though..._ "

 _The Enchanted Forest..._ The little sorcerer crossed his arms... _The Enchanted Forest... Now where was that?_ Ripto had no memory of ever visiting such a world when they were going around destroying the dark gems... _Wait a minute, hadn't Elora mentioned something about a fourth homeworld a while back?_

" _The Enchanted Forest..._ That was in the Spring homeworld, wasn't it? _Spring... Valley_ , you said it was?" asked the little sorcerer... _Yes. Among other things, he recalled her telling him a little bit about the Enchanted Forest now._ "You mentioned that it was the home to spriggans, fairies and unicorns..."

"... You remember," said the faun, offering the little sorcerer a nod of her head.

"The Enchanted Forest was home to fauns too?"

"... It was. Yes." Elora gave him another nod of her had. "The fauns of the Enchanted Forest were kindly individuals, though you could say that we were a bit... Shy, when it came to dealing with strangers... We were a quiet sort, _not like the fauns of Fracture Hills_. We oftentimes preferred the company of animals above others, and shied away at the presence of travelers..."

 _'We',_ the sorcerer noted as he listened to Elora... _'We',_ implying that _she, too, was a faun of the Enchanted Forest herself..._

 _He supposed it_ _made sense... Giving her a quick look over, Elora did not look at all like the fauns of Fracture Hills -- or Magma Cone for that matter... While the fauns from those worlds bore traits that were more commonly found among goats(from the shape of their hooves and the horns on their head) Elora had more resemblance to a forest doe..._

_She HAD said that, when the Spring Valley homeworld vanished, her mother and father had stayed behind to help out all that they could to escape, but he had never once met any other fauns that resembled Elora in any fashion during his time in Avalar... For all anyone knew, she was the last of her kind..._

_He wondered what they were like... Her mother, and father..._ The little sorcerer had opened his mouth to speak, but his words were drowned out at the sound of bagpipes... _Bagpipes, drums, and flutes, echoing through the night air of Fracture Hills..._ Crush and Gulp exchanged glances between one another, each one sporting a toothy grin, and they both danced to the tune the satyr's played.

_Welp... Seemed like he would have to save the inquiries for another time..._

As the music started up, the faun looked back to the little sorcerer with a smile. And -- much to his surprise -- she reached down for his hand, and led him to the source of the music... And there it was : _A great bonfire before the temple, with fauns and satyrs, singing and dancing around the flames._

 _The smell of roasted pork was certainly enchanting... As was the smell of honey cakes, and an assortment of other smells... There were many honey-based foods in Fracture Hills, it would seem, and the scent of it all was mouth watering._.. Elora had taken a cushion by the fires, and the little sorcerer took his seat beside her.

_Meat-sticks were brought out. Pig haunches. Raspberries, and strawberries, and honey cakes... Fracture Hills had it's fair share of delicious foods, and Ripto wanted a sampling of each and every one... He checked on Crush and Gulp now and again. The two beasts were being tended to by some fauns, bringing them both their share of food as well... They seemed popular among the faun ladies, for some reason._

Ripto was alerted then when Elora reached for his hand... With a slight trill that went unheard, he turned to the faun -- and before he could ask what she wanted of him, she was bringing him up... And that was when the sudden, horrid realization hit as she took him up to join with the other fauns, and she danced among them, with Ripto in her arms.

He protested, and squirmed, hoping to retake his seat ; but his voice was all but mute to the sound of bagpipes... _But she danced, and spun with him. And there was such joy on her face that... He wasn't quite sure how to feel... The way she smiled, and twirled with him. She... She was enjoying herself... But more than that, she was enjoying the moment with him. And he was confused... He was confused when she had first asked him out... He remembered the look Gulp had given him, and he had told the beast that it was not anything... Significant, for lack of any better words._

_... But what was this feeling he felt at this very moment? Dancing, seeing her smile... He couldn't quite say how, or why, but it filled him with a certain sense of warmth, seeing her as happy as she was..._

Over time, their tunes ceased, and the fauns and satyrs applauded... They had gathered around, and exchanged tales around the fire... All had listened, quietly and intently to the different tales of the satyrs, when all of a sudden, a pained howl had silenced the story-tellers.

Recognizing the howl as belonging to none other than Crush, Ripto turned and rushed to see what had caused the beast to let out such a pained sound. And when he found Crush, with Gulp at his side, he took notice of a particularly large, red lump on the tip of the blue saurian's nose.

"Crush, you idiot!" The little sorcerer scolded, running off to Crush's side. At the sorcerer's approach, Crush bowed his head, whimpering in shame. "What happened to you? You found one of the bee trees and tried to eat some of the honey, didn't you? You know from last time that you can't trust any of the damn trees around here!"


	5. Chapter 5

Out of the two beasts that were always at Ripto's side, Crush was the densest of the two... The poor beast had caught sight of a tree with a bee hive close by, and had completely given himself up to temptation. In his efforts to get into the honey within, the tree sprang to life, and had sent out a swarm of bees to assault the blue creature. And now, Crush bore a great, red lump upon his nose, to show for his feud with the bees.

Elora(and a few of the other fauns) had sat at Crush's side, comforting the beast as they waited for the Alchemist to arrive to tend to the beast's injuries... _Yeah, trust the guy who had trapped Hunter's feet in a huge block of stone, and ended up walking into Earthshaper after Earthshaper when he JUST could have turned the corner from the shop, and went into the small cave Hunter was trapped in_.

Thankfully, the journey from one point to the other was not quite as tedious as before... After giving a quick examination of the lump, the Alchemist carefully removed the stinger from Crush's nose, gave the beast a quick scrubbing with some soap and water, dabbed the spot with a pink-purple salve, and draped a small, cold cloth over the spot of the sting.

"There... That should help with the swelling," the alchemist said, turning away from Crush to look at Ripto. "I would recommend lingering back in Fracture Hills for a bit just in case the swelling spreads... Given Crush's bulk, I am quite confident that your saurian friend will turn out just fine. Still, it's better to be safe than sorry as they always say, as an allergic reaction from bee stings can be quite serious."

"We understand," said Elora, offering her thanks... With a bow, the Alchemist turned to depart.

* * *

"You'd have thought that he would have learned after the last time we were here," the little sorcerer grumbled as he and Elora entered one of the guest houses.

_Yes, Elora remembered their first time at Fracture Hills as though it were yesterday... Purging the world of dark gems, collecting orbs and acquiring the Bronze Flute talisman... One of the various dangers of the Fracture Hills, aside from the Earthshapers and the lakes of lava, came in the form of living bee trees, and killer bushes that blended in among the environment... She hadn't forgotten the memory of alerting Ripto to the presence of once such a bush, and watching as the poor little sorcerer was chased around by the hungry monster._

"You shouldn't be so hard on Crush," the faun said to the little sorcerer... Ripto had seated himself by the window, peering outside as though searching for something...

 _Checking on Crush and Gulp most likely..._ Both Crush and Gulp kept close to the guest house that she and Ripto were staying at... The fauns seemed to have taken a liking toward both of the beasts, Elora had noted... _They were in good hands. The fauns were making sure that Crush was being well cared for... The swelling in his nose HAD started to go down some, and the beast hadn't been displaying any further issues._

"... Hey," Elora started in a soft voice, approaching the little sorcerer and setting a hand on his shoulder. "All things aside, I had fun... _I hope you did too._ "

There was a heavy sigh from the little sorcerer... Pulling up a seat, she sat down beside Ripto, running her hand down his back... _She couldn't tell what was going on through his mind... She truly did hope he at least enjoyed himself..._ Her ears dropped at the notion that he hadn't... But, after a time, he looked back up to the faun, and gave her a slow blink.

"... Thank you."

Perking up at his words, she offered him a smile. "You're welcome... _Just try not to let this whole bee incident get ya' down... Okay?_ "

The little sorcerer was quiet ; but after a moment, he gave her a nod of his head.

* * *

 _... Perhaps he had overreacted..._ The hour was late, but Ripto had ventured out one last time to check up on Crush... The two beasts had settled just outside the door of the guest house that he and Elora were sharing.

Both of them lifted their heads up at his approach, watching him quietly and intently... Ripto made a motion of his hand to Crush, and the saurian lowered his head slightly... _Yes, the swelling had gone down significantly,_ Ripto noted.

"Well, at least you no longer look as though you've got a clown's nose anymore," said the little sorcerer... At his comment, Crush bowed his head shamefully. Shaking his head, Ripto brought out a pouch, and drew out a honey cake. "Here," he said, offering the pastry to Crush... The beast's eyes widened at the treat, and gave it a quick sniff, before lapping it up right out of his hand.

"... Now no more going after the bee trees, alright?" Reaching over, Ripto settled his hand down upon Crush's nose, gently stroking the beast's snout... A low rumbling sounded from the beast, settling his head down before the sorcerer with a contented purr... Turning now to Gulp, Ripto moved to the green beast, and drew forth another pastry.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten about you either," said Ripto, holding the honey cake out, watching as it disappeared in a similar fashion from his hand... After giving both of the beasts a gentle pet on their noses, before turning to head back inside.

By the time Ripto returned, the faun had just finished brushing her teeth... After rinsing the paste out, she turned to the little sorcerer and stepped out.

"How's Crush doing?"

"The swelling has gone down," said Ripto, slipping out of his cape and folding it up.

"Well, that's good," the faun answered with a warm smile, seating herself on the edge of her bed... Setting his cape aside, Ripto strode into the bathroom and brushed his teeth as well... Once he was done, he strode out and started to rummage through the drawers.

"Say Elora, do we have any socks around here?"

"Socks?"

"... You know, those things that you slip onto your feet," explained the sorcerer. He looked back at the faun, and...

 _... Well, she was a faun. Fauns had hooves, so they wouldn't have any need for socks,_ he realized... _Well, crap! He couldn't exactly sleep with his shoes on. But if he went to bed, he'd risk ripping the sheets!_

"I'm afraid I don't have any socks," said Elora. "However, I DO have some claw caps you could use..."

"Claw caps?" Ripto gave the faun a quirk of the brow, and watched as she stood up from her bed to fetch her pouch ; and after a bit of searching around, she drew out six claw caps.

 _... She just happened to have these things in her bag?_ Not that Ripto was going to offer any complaint... She motioned for him to come over, and he obliged. They both sat up on the bed, and she helped him with putting the caps on each of his toes.

"There you go... I always take a few with me ; helps when I'm dealing with certain animals... They're easy to put on, and they stick on pretty good so you won't have to worry about them falling off in your sleep. And they're easy to remove once you're done with them."

"You are full of surprises," said the sorcerer, flexing his toes...

"... They snag on the sheets, don't they?" Elora inquired after a moment, watching him as he flexed his toes. Taking a deep breath, the little sorcerer nodded his head.

"It's been an issue," Ripto started up with a shrug of his shoulders. "I've torn up many sheets and blankets because of my claws... _As much as I love the feeling of a nice, warm, cozy bed, it's hard to enjoy it when you're woken up in the middle of the night to the feeling of your toes getting snagged, followed by the sound of a loud rip. It was especially hard trying to sleep through the colder nights with nothing but torn and tattered blankets..._ I had a bit of a reputation because of it way back in the day. A lot of the other kids called me... _Called me..._ "

"... Called you what?"

A heavy sigh left the little sorcerer... He wrapped his arms around himself, bowing his head in embarrassment.

" _... Rip-toe._ "

Only silence followed... _Yes, it was an embarrassing truth_... _In his youth, other kids had taken to calling him by that name because of the issues he'd always have with sleeping in beds..._

"No one had ever given me a real name, so... It was the only thing I had," Ripto started again with a shrug of his shoulders. "I've grown accustomed to it...The name's stuck with me, but it's still an embarrassment thinking about how the name originated."

"... Ripto," the faun started in a soft voice. When he turned to her, he noticed a sad look in her eyes. "When you say _no one had ever given you a real name_... What about your parents?"

"... Never had 'em," Ripto answered, looking away from the faun and shrugging his shoulders... With a breath, he started to shift, inching himself closer to the edge of the bed, only to pause when the faun set her hand on his shoulder.

"... It's a fearsome name."

He looked back up at Elora with a slight quirk of his brow. "I don't think you get the point... _They called me that because my toes kept snagging on my bed sheets--_ "

"It's still a fearsome name," said Elora, shaking her head. "I understand that it started off as a cruel joke... _But you've taken that name, and made it your own_... I think that's pretty bold of you..."

After a moment, she moved her hand, slowly and gently running it up and down his back... A soft sigh left him, and he let his eyes drift shut, purring at her touch.

* * *

_To think that Ripto's name was all in reference to the troubles he had as a kid, where his toes would snag and tear at the sheets... He was opening up to her now. He was finally beginning to open up ; but the more she learned of him, the more sorry she felt toward the little saurian._

The little sorcerer had inched himself closer to Elora -- much to her surprise -- purring softly and contentedly as she pet him... Over time, he started to drift more and more ; and before long, he had fallen asleep, right up against her.

She smiled at the little dinosaur... Carefully scooping him up into her arms, she brought the little sorcerer over to his bed, gently laying him down, and pulling the blanket up over his shoulder. Leaning down, she placed a kiss upon his cheek, and quietly returned to her own bed, climbing in and drifting to sleep.

... A few hours passed... She couldn't quite say how many. All she knew was that it was still dark when she opened her eyes.

There was a certain warmth at her side... She turned, and was taken aback when she discovered the little saurian nestled back at her side.

She was confused at first ; but after a moment, she could not help but to smile... She re-situated herself, and carefully wrapped her arm around the little dinosaur, and drifted off into sleep once more.


	6. Chapter 6

The morning came... Light shone through the window of the guest houses, filling the room with warmth.

Elora was the first to awaken, opening her eyes to the sight of the little saurian sorcerer still snuggled up beside her... Carefully so as not to disrupt him, she rose with a stretch and a yawn, slipping out from the bed.

 _Ripto was quite the heavy sleeper,_ it would seem... She couldn't help but to smile as she looked back at the little dinosaur as he slept, watching him as his nose gave off the occasional twitch, and the way the tips of his tongue poked out ever-so slightly from his mouth... _That was always something she loved seeing from the many different critters she's dealt with ; and the fact that Ripto did it himself was highly endearing to her._

They were not in any particular rush to leave the Fracture Hills, so she left the little sorcerer to his rest... Dressing up in her regular attire, Elora went out to check up and see how Crush and Gulp were. When she opened the door, she gasped when she saw both of the beasts, up and at the door.

"Crush! Gulp! You startled me," Elora started with a sigh. Stepping outside, she closed the door and looked back at the two beasts. "He's still sleeping," she said in a soft voice... In response, Gulp gave off a low rumble, and a nod of his head... Turning now to Crush, she looked up at the blue beast. _The big, red lump on the top of his nose was long gone by now_.

She held out her hand toward Crush. _The big saurian looked down at her in confusion, tilting his head..._ After a moment, she turned back to Gulp, offering her hand to the green dinosaur. _He sniffed, and pressed his nose against the palm of her hand, chuffing as she gave the beast a gentle pet on his nose..._ Turned back to Crush once more, she offered her hand to the big, blue dinosaur, and waited.

 _There was more hesitance on Crush's side,_ Elora had noted. But after a time, the beast finally lowered himself down to Elora's level, carefully brushing his nose into her palm.

"See? That's not so bad, is it?" She said softly to the beast, slowly and gently stroking his nose, smiling once the low rumbling started up.

 _In spite of their ferocious exteriors, these two honestly weren't so bad once you got used to them,_ Elora thought to herself... _In fact, they were quite friendly,_ much to her surprise. _A far cry from when she first met them... She wondered what their stories were. How Ripto came to meet them._

Taking both of her hands, she scratched beneath Crush's chin, smiling as the beast rumbled lowly at her touch, chuckling as she watched that big, goofy grin appear on his face once more, with tongue lolling out the side of his mouth...

After a time, Elora returned to the guest house that she and Ripto shared, carrying a basket with two bagel sandwiches(with bacon and egg), some orange juice for them to drink, and an assortment of fruits for breakfast... Upon opening the door, she caught sight of the little sorcerer just sitting up, rubbing his eyes to rid himself of the buildup of sleepy sand, and giving off a big stretch, and a wide, wide yawn.

"Good morning, Ripto!" Elora greeted with a warm smile, heading over and setting the basket down on the table by the window. "I brought us some breakfast."

The little saurian made a slight grumbling sound, looking over at the faun with a tired look in his eyes... She readied some plates for the two of them... She could hear the little sorcerer's sniffing when she drew out the bagel sandwiches, taking them out from their wrappings and setting them on each of their plates.

When she looked, the little sorcerer was tip-toeing over to take his seat at Elora's side. His eyes were fixed on the bagel sandwiches. He reached over, and scavenged one down... As he ate his sandwich, Elora reached into the basket and took up a handful of strawberries, and sliced the greens off with a knife... She offered a few to Ripto. The little sorcerer looked up at the strawberries in her hand, gave them a quick sniff, and ate them right out from her hand.

 _It was just like when she had fed Crush and Gulp some moments before! She hadn't expected to see the same behavior from Ripto..._ It had taken Elora completely by surprise, and... Only made the little sorcerer all the more endearing to her... After a moment, the little sorcerer looked up at Elora with a certain bashfulness and apologized, but she only shook her head. "There's no need to apologize!" She offered a warm smile to him.

"... Crush!" he started all of a sudden, straightening up. Startled, Elora's ears twitched at his exclamation. "How is--?"

"He's okay," she assured the little sorcerer. "I went out to check on them when I first got up... The swelling is completely gone from Crush's nose now, and is looking much better than it did before."

The little sorcerer seemed to ease at her words, sitting back down in his chair with a sigh... _He seemed relieved to hear that,_ Elora noted.

"I brought them some breakfast before."

"You did?" The little sorcerer looked back up. "Thank you... _I should probably offer the Alchemist my regards for helping out with Crush_ ," he said, reaching over into the basket and taking a raspberry, popping one in his mouth. " _I suppose I can also say that I am quite thankful he didn't encase the poor beast in a block of stone like he did with Hunter..._ What was the story behind that again? _He wanted to turn Hunter's boots into gold_? Ignoring the impracticality of the whole idea behind that, _Hunter didn't even HAVE boots_!"

Elora could not help but to chuckle. "He's still a bit sore over the incident."

"I can't say I blame him... _I'd be pretty peeved if he trapped MY shoes in a block of stone,_ " said the little saurian, glancing over to the side where he'd left his shoes. Dark purple, with a notable curl on the tip to match with his cape... _They were like little elf booties_ , though Elora dared not say anything lest she embarrass the sorcerer. _He clearly seemed fond of them_.

After finishing their breakfast, they ventured to the Alchemist's home to fill him in on Crush's wellbeing, and to offer thanks for his assistance...

As the day went on, it was decided that it was time to return to the Autumn Plains... It had been a couple days since Elora checked in on the Professor, and she wanted to know how he was doing on the Super Portal. But halfway to making it over to the portal, the saurian sorcerer yelped as if in a panic : "STOP! We can't leave yet!"

Alarmed, Elora turned to the little sorcerer to see what had troubled him so... As it turned out, he had just remembered that his new cape had been made in Fracture Hills, and wanted to pay a visit to the tailor to offer them his thanks as well before leaving.

At this, Elora could not help but to laugh. Taking his hand, she turned and led the little sorcerer back.


	7. Chapter 7

Ripto would not deny that he had felt a certain sense of disappointment as he parted ways with Elora after returning to the Autumn Plains homeworld... It wasn't as though he hadn't enjoyed their little outing at Fracture Hills. On the contrary, he had enjoyed himself immensely, barring the incident where Crush got stung by a bee...

It was an entirely new experience for him... No one had ever wanted to do anything with him before, so he felt incredibly awkward. But he had enjoyed himself... And he was grateful to Elora for the time spent.

"I'm going to head back to the Winter Tundra. See how the Professor's doing with the Super Portal," Elora had told him, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek before parting ways ; But not before waving at the saurian trio as she left, a warm smile on her face...

_Yes, the Super Portal... No one knew exactly what became of the Spring Valley homeworld of Avalar. But Elora had hopes that, with the Super Portal, they would be able to find it again... It was highly important business for her. Understandable, given that was where she had last seen her parents._

_He wondered what it was like to have a family... What their names were. What they were like... If she had any brothers, or sisters(though, if she did, he felt she would have mentioned them)... He never had a family... At least not one that had ever cared for him._

_Ripto never knew his true parents... He had heard it said that dinosaurs led a hard, difficult life, and often come from worlds rife with hostilities... There was no place for weaklings... Or runts, who were oftentimes abandoned, or eaten, either by their own nest-mates, or by the parents themselves he had been told..._

_Though he never knew them, he felt that that knowledge alone was all he needed to know about who -- or what -- his parents were... Or why he was all alone... For a time, at least. Until Greedio came along._

_Not that that was saying much... He was close to death when Greedio had found him, and he would have died if the old witch hadn't taken him in. But living under Greedio's roof was not what he would call pleasant. She raised him... And she had also chained him, whipped him, and beat him... He was nothing more than Greedio's little toady, and all he was ever good for was running errands for her..._

_That all came to an end when Gulp brought his great maw down upon her, leaving only her arm behind, with a magical scepter clutched in her hand..._

A soft sigh left the little sorcerer... Night had now befallen the Autumn Plains. Ripto had situated himself upon one of Gulp's fat arms, and Crush was huddled beside the green beast, snoring lightly. Gulp remained awake... _He was always the last to fall asleep, keeping watch until the other two had drifted off_.

 _He supposed the two of them were the closest things he had ever had toward a family. But he had always derided them over one thing or another... Crush especially was a frequent victim to his chastisement..._ _He was a good boy... Both of them were... And neither of them had deserved to be lambasted by him for so long._

Glancing over at the blue beast at his side, he reached over and ran his paw over Crush's snout...

" _Good boy,_ " he whispered softly to the blue beast... With a yawn, Ripto re-situated himself, curling up and huddling up closer against Gulp, and shutting his eyes... Then, opening them again, he looked back up and whispered the same to Gulp : " _Good boy._ "

The last thing he saw before shutting his eyes was a faint smirk from the green beast, and a slow nod of his great head...

_... He enjoyed that time with Elora... He wondered what tomorrow would bring... If she would return and take him off on some other random venture of hers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter -- wrackin' my brains to see what more I could add, but... Could not think of what else to add.
> 
> Please! If there's anything that you'd like to see, I'm open to any and all suggestions! ^^


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